WHEAT CULTURE IN INDIA. 573 



smooth as well as be broken up sliort. There is real force in this objec- 

 tion, and, until it is overcome, the people will use the cattle and the 

 thrashing-floor. In time, when they can be induced to raise green fodder 

 or preserve grass as hay, or make ensilage, which is being introduced, 

 they may adopt the civilized method of thrashing. "Set their system 

 works very well. They have the cattle and plenty of time, for after 

 harvest they have less work to do and the straw is very dry. 



The winnowiug-machine is a scoop, called a " soop," about 18 inches 

 wide, made of reeds, and in shape like a large dust-pan. This is filled 

 with grain and chaff, and held in the wind so that the chaff falling 

 from it is blown from the grain. If there is no wind, two men take a 

 blanket, one at each end, and wave it between them, while a third drib- 

 bles the grain from the soop. Twenty years ago the writer imported a 

 fanning-mill from the United States, and it was probably the first one 

 among two hundred millions of people. To-day there is not a fanning- 

 mill used by a farmer in all these provinces. There are some used at 

 the large markets. The cultivators are too poor to purchase them, and 

 the landholders will not take the trouble or be willing to spend their 

 money in this way. 



After thrashing, the bhoosa is put in thatched ricks or bins, or in a 

 corner of their huts or mud-walled houses, and fed out very carefully. 



THE MODE OF CULTIYATION. 



The first thing to do in preparing for a crop of wheat is manuring, 

 that is, if the farmer has any manure, and he generally saves aU he 

 can for his wheat. This is done in May or June, just previous to the 

 rains. After the field has been plowed a flock of sheep or a number of 

 cattle are herded on the field at night, and this costs the farmer some- 

 thing, as he usually does not own any sheep. The least number of 

 times the land is plowed is ten and the greatest number thirty. About 

 the last of September the sowing takes place. First a Brahmin is con- 

 sulted, if the farmer is a Hindoo, to fix the auspicious time, and this 

 being determined he appoints a man to do the first sowing, after which 

 any one can dribble the wheat, but not before. The farmer's wife, on 

 giving out the seed, reserves at little, to which she adds more grain, and 

 then distributes it to the ofiiciating Brahmin, the plowman, and labor- 

 ers. The seed is carried in a basket and sprinkled behind the plow 

 with the hand. The average amount of seed for an acre is 150 pounds. 

 In some districts the wheat is carefully weeded, the weeds serving as 

 food for the people and the grass as fodder for the cattle. In most 

 places the fields have to be watered, and this has to be done, usually, 

 about three times, first after the seed germinates, when the wheat is 

 about to blossom, and the last when the wheat is in the ear. Tbc aver- 

 age cost of watering, which is by different facilities and processes, is 

 about $2.25 an acre. The harvest for wheat sown in October takes 

 place in March, but usually the harvest-time is in April, the wheat 

 ripening in about five months. 



THE COST. 



Pair of Ijullocks $8 00 



Plow 40 



Yoke — 15 



Lcveler , 30 



Weeder 06 



Winnowing scoop 06 



Sickle 06 



Water lifter 50 



Total 9 53 



